SEARCHING FOR MAXIMUS DECIMUS MERIDIUS...

We catch the bus down to the Piazza Venezia where the gargantuan Victor Emmanuel Monument stands, it's hard to miss! We shall visit it later in the week, so walk past and stop just long enough for a pic or two.

We quickly walk down Via Alessandriana passing statues of Caesars past and the Forum,

finally arriving at our destination with 25 minutes to spare. We have arrived at the Colosseum, the mighty amphitheatre that is Buzzy's number one 'must see', and for good reason.

(Travel Tip; it is imperative to pre-book, even then you're warned to be there 20 minutes before your scheduled entry time - it's not long enough! The crowd control is shambolic, even for those in the 'skip the queue' line. Give yourself 30 minutes minimum!). Now recognised as one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World, it was completed in 81AD and at various times held between 50-80,000 people. Trivia Point: Colosseum is NOT its actual name, but a 'nickname'. It was originally called the Amphitheatrum Flavium, having been built in the Flavian dynasty. The name Colosseum refers to the enormous 30 metre tall bronze statue the Colossus Of Nero (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). The famous epigram "as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world," was a reference to the statue and not the amphitheatre - ironic that it did fall and so too the Roman Empire.

We're on a small private tour (currently only a few hundred people a day are able to do it) that takes us right up to the top of the 3rd tier

and down into the recently excavated Hypogeum, the underground dungeons and holding areas for wild animals and other attractions (a sort of backstage if you like).

The arena itself actually had a suspended wooden floor which was covered in sawdust and sand (in the film 'Gladiator' it correctly depicts sand falling through cracks onto the gladiators below), and was used for bull fights, chariot races, naval battle re-enactments, feeding convicts (usually Christians) to wild beasts, and of course gladiator fights.

Gladiators derived their name from the Latin name for wooden swords they practiced with, gladius. Although 3 in 5 didn't make their 20th birthday, gladiators had longer lives than most Christians at the time! We looked around but couldn't find any evidence that Russell Crowe had been there.

In a touch of irony, much of the structure was sacked and used in the construction of St. Peter's Basilica, the Church seeing a certain symbolism in using bricks from the place where Christians were sacrificed to help erect the mighty cathedral! The Colosseum is still the largest amphitheatre in the world, and still in use.

After a delicious repast in the shadows of the mesmerising structure, we head for the Palatine Hill, the most central of the seven hills upon which Rome was founded.Surrounded by the Circus Maximus, the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum, it rises 40 metres and was the most fashionable residential area of ancient Rome, and included the residences of numerous emperors. We roam through the remains of the great palaces (the word 'palace' is derived from 'palatine') taking in the sweeping views, it truly is spectacular.

Circus Maximus operated as an arena for chariot races, processions and major events until 540AD, today it is parkland still used for public gatherings and concerts (500,000 people attended a Genesis concert in 2007!).

Next we take a leisurely stroll through the valley of the Forum, the former marshland that became the urban centre of ancient Rome that has the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia as bookends. It's amazing to think that in 500BC a system could be devised for draining water from swampland. Numerous structures still stand (in varying states), including the 70 foot high Arch of Septimius (203AD),

several columns from the Temple of Vesta, the 283AD Curia Julia (where the Senate would meet), the Column of Phocus, the Temple of Saturn, Temple of Vespasian and Titus, Temple of Castor and Pollux, Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, the Basilica Julia (54BC), and the Basilica of Maxentius (308AD)....it's mind boggling really.

We've had an excellent day in ancient Rome and it's time to relax and reward ourselves, what better than a visit to Italy's most famous gelataria - Giolitti.

It was founded in 1890 and is still operated by the same family in its original location near the Pantheon. Queues to get in are unbelievable so we elect to have al fresco service - a smart move - and prices are surprisingly low.

The choices are mind boggling, and gelato comes in all manner of flavours and all using actual ingredients (making some flavours seasonal). Apart from the usual array, there's Bailey's Irish Whisky, champagne, prickly pear, rice, amaretto, risotto and marsala custard - fortunately the alcohol based flavours aren't served to children!

It's been a fabulous day, so it's an early dinner,

especially as tomorrow we're booked in for another tantalising trip into the past....

A DATE WITH FRANK...

"Take us to Frank's house" we instruct our driver, and 20 minutes of hair raising thrills later, we're on the west bank of the Tiber River in the world's smallest independent State (in both size and population which totals 1,000) and staring at a seething mass of people in the queue to get into the Vatican Museums. It's at least a kilometre long and Mario Andretti drops us off 500 metres from the entrance - he can't get any closer. The good news is WE'VE PRE-BOOKED a guided tour and so jump the queues (Travel Tip: the queue lengths is not an exaggeration! Unless you fancy standing in the blazing sun for several hours then it's a no brainer - PRE-BOOK your tickets online).

Even inside the museum, the crowds are massive and it's easy to get separated from one's tour guide.  (Tourist Tip: Our tour is for three hours and it really is a marathon, there's no break or refreshment stop, so keep it in mind if you're toting kids around). We wander our way through the Pio Clementino Museum, 

Gallery of the Candelabra (no sign of Liberace anywhere),

Gallery of the Tapestries, 

we got lost in the Gallery of the Geographical Maps,

and Raphael's Room.

Transfiguration

The priceless artwork and sculptures are mesmerising, the whole place drips with opulence and yet it begs the question, "exactly who would buy all this 'stuff' if it was for sale??"

Apollo Belvedere

Laocoon and his sons

Belvedere Torso

Caravaggio's Deposizione

St Jerome by Da Vinci

 

Aldobrandini's Marriage

The jewel in this fabulous crown is, of course, the Sistine Chapel which features two of Michelango's most extraordinary and celebrated frescoes.

The first is the ceiling, painted between 1508-12 and depicts the Book of Genesis, the creation (the iconic image of God giving life to Adam - their fingers don't actually touch!), Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the Great Flood 

(Trivia Point: it's a myth that Mike lay down to paint the ceiling, he did in fact stand up - must've ended up with a chronic crick in the neck!). The second fresco is the magnificent Last Judgement, painted between 1535-41 (i.e. it took longer than the ceiling!) which spans the entire wall behind the altar.

When one considers these and other works of art, along with his architectural and engineering designs then there can be no question that he truly was a genius.

Upon leaving the museums there's no time to rest as we enter St. Peter's Basilica, the holiest church in Christendom. From 1506 to 1626 it was built under the supervision of Rafael, Peruzzi, Michelangelo and Bernini, amongst others.

The cathedral is the world's largest in terms of floor space and holds an incredible 20,000 worshippers (on our visit they must have been trying to break the record!). The dome (designed by Mike) is 42 metres in diameter and towers 136 metres above the floor, and is accessible by climbing 533 steps which we're keen to do, however a mighty queue with a one hour waiting time, coupled with two children suffering chronic hunger pangs, force us to reconsider.

Footnote: We rang the doorbell but nobody answered, clearly Frank wasn't home (probably off writing his speech for Easter Sunday).

We exit the basilica and la familia sit on the periphery of the cobble stoned St. Peter's Square to have a much needed bite to eat whilst admiring the grandeur of this trapezoid shaped meeting place.

Leaving the Vatican means walking towards the Ponte Sant'Angelo and the gigantic cylindrical edifice Castel Sant'Angelo, more commonly known as Hadian's Mausoleum.

We choose not to go this way - hey, there's only so many monuments and ruins one can take in - and instead wind our way south to Rome's coolest neighbourhood, Trastevere. The later the day becomes, the more this area comes alive as bars and cafes open their doors. Don L has suffered the wrath of God (clearly spending half a day in His office hasn't counted for anything) and not only has the iPhone died but a lens falls out of my prescription sunglasses leaving me semi-blind. We split up and as Dulcinea and los ninos explore shops for the rest of the day Don L sets off on a quest to find an electronics store and an optometrist (not as easy as it sounds!).

Tomorrow it's time to don the toga!